THE Canadian High Commission has apologised to the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) for a botched naval exercise in March, which saw live 50-calibre rounds being fired in Jamaican coastal waters by two of that country's naval vessels and the interference with a boat in which former Prime Minister Bruce Golding was travelling. The disclosure came on Tuesday as the JDF sought to clear the air on the incident, which the Canadian media said has caused that country much embarrassment. [continues 514 words]
Ottawa - Bad maps are being blamed after Canadian naval reservists participating in the U.S.-led war on drugs last year sparked a diplomatic flap by firing their weapons and intercepting fishing trawlers in Jamaican waters - without Jamaica's permission. The embarrassing incident, which has never before been publicly reported, broke international maritime law - not the first time legal questions have been raised about Canada's increasing involvement in the drug war. On March 27, 2012, HMCS Goose Bay and Kingston were patrolling south of Jamaica as part of Operation Caribbe, Canada's contribution to an ongoing, U.S.-led anti-drug trafficking mission in the Caribbean and East Pacific. [continues 772 words]
Bad maps are being blamed after Canadian naval reservists participating in the U.S.-led war on drugs last year sparked a diplomatic flap by firing their weapons and intercepting fishing trawlers in Jamaican waters - without Jamaica's permission. The embarrassing incident, which has never before been publicly reported, broke international maritime law - not the first time legal questions have been raised about Canada's increasing involvement in the drug war. On March 27, 2012, the HMCS Goose Bay and Kingston were patrolling south of Jamaica as part of Operation Caribbe, Canada's contribution to an ongoing, U.S.-led anti-drug trafficking mission in the Caribbean and East Pacific. [continues 232 words]
'Cannabis Keeps Viral Progression Down' DIRECTOR of the Caribbean Drug and Alcohol Research Institute Dr Marcus Day believes the time has come for regional governments to legalise marijuana to counteract the spread of HIV. "I think we should regulate cannabis (marijuana) use the same way we regulate alcohol use, the same way they are talking about regulating it in the states of Washington and Colorado in America," said Day, an HIV/AIDS specialist and coordinator of the Caribbean Harm Reduction Coalition. [continues 659 words]
"Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private or personal use." - - President Jimmy Carter, message to Congress, August 2, 1977 I don't know if it has anything to do with the growing number of American states that are voting to decriminalise ganja, but the great ganja debate is surfacing here again. In April of this year, I successfully infused myself into a conversation two young men were having about the similarities in a recent experience that came to an end in the Half-Way Tree RM Court that day. Both men were jailed when they were found with a ganja spliff. They spent nine days in the jail, pleaded guilty and were charged $100 each. So that should be that. But not really. [continues 806 words]
If the years of Prohibition taught the United States nothing else, it should have been that laws for which there is little, or no, popular consensus are not only likely to be treated with disdain, but also breed corruption. So, during the ban on alcohol, speakeasies flourished and mobsters like Al Capone 'owned' law-enforcement officers and public officials. Dry America was a boon for the Mafia. Nearly 80 years after the lifting of Prohibition, America is fighting, and losing, another of these battles of morality. Only, this time, the fight has spread far beyond its borders, with deleterious consequences for many of its neighbours, including Jamaica. [continues 449 words]
IF JAMAICANS were to be asked to vote whether the use of marijuana should be decriminalised, at least one clergyman would be among those saying aye. The Reverend Karl Johnson yesterday told The Gleaner that it is time Jamaica move towards decriminalising the use of marijuana. "I think many of us have long advocated for that in circumstances that would point to marijuana not being used for export," Johnson told The Gleaner yesterday. His comments come against the background of a Sunday Gleaner article on the weekend in which local parliamentarians have supported a move by two US states, Washington and Colorado, to decriminalise and regulate the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana by adults over 21. [continues 372 words]
WHILE respecting the rights of individuals to enjoy a safe and healthy environment, this column has been advocating legislative and judicial reforms in the way we treat users of marijuana (ganja) in Jamaica. In fact, this column has been bolder than just advocating common-sense amendments to the present laws that govern the cultivation, distribution and possession of the plant. It has suggested that the production and use of the weed (to qualified adults) be part of any recuperative health tourism plans we might be contemplating. [continues 864 words]
If there was anywhere on Earth where it was legal to blaze the chalice, one would think that that place would be Jamaica, popularised by our own legendary ambassadors such as Bob Marley (in singles such as Kaya), Peter Tosh (Legalise It), Yellow Man (Sensemilla), Rita Marley (One Draw, more popularly known as I Wanna Get High) and Buju Banton (Driva). After the most recent recommendations to decriminalise weed, made by national commissions set up in the late 1990s by the government, namely that of former prime ministers P.J. Patterson and, more recently, Bruce Golding, to study the phenomenon of this herb, it would appear that support is growing in Parliament. Justice Minister Mark Golding and Opposition Senator Tom Tavares-Finson have shown their cards. [continues 1135 words]
THE EDITOR, Sir: A few Fridays ago, the issue of the continued criminalisation of ganja usage was raised in the Senate. According to Senator Tom Tavares-Finson, "On a weekly basis, ... approximately 300 young Jamaican males receive criminal records for minute quantities of ganja. It means that we are creating a pool of young persons who cannot be employed, who cannot join the military, who cannot join the police force and, indeed, cannot, in some instances, seek further education." What is it about marijuana that makes a lot of politicians hallucinate? The faintest whiff of 'the weed of madness' (according to US government propaganda) causes them to see distorted images of things that aren't there and never were: justice, law and order, community protection, re-election. But most of them don't see the obvious. [continues 293 words]
The Gregory Isaacs Foundation launched its anti-drug campaign last October -- celebrating the memorial of the late singer who passed on that day. Widow June Isaacs says the messages has been playing locally an internationally on radio, television and on the Internet. Her strategy getting the message across is using comments from her late husband in edited audio and video comments about his own drug abuse. "The medium of the Internet has taken off like a firestorm with tons of sites commenting and sharing the message and the ad," she says. [continues 219 words]
REGGAE star Buju Banton is now being transferred from the Pinellas County Jail in Florida to a correctional facility in Mississippi to begin serving his 10-year sentence. Banton will be taken to the Adams County Correctional Center in Natchez, Mississippi. Defence attorney David Oscar Markus, who represented the embattled artiste, in his drug trial, told the Sunday Observer that United States magistrate James Moody recommended that Banton serve his sentence at a facility in Florida, but a shortage of beds caused him to be transferred to the Mississippi-based prison. [continues 298 words]
THE EDITOR, Sir: It is not true that international treaties, in particular the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, prohibit governments from pursuing alternative legal schemes regarding the possession or regulation of cannabis as stated in a Gleaner article on January 31 titled 'Ganja to remain under ban in Jamaica because of int'l treaties', in its reporting of a lecture recently at the University of the West Indies, Mona, on the subject. According to a 2001 British study, governments have "considerable room for manoeuvre under the terms of the three [international] drug-control conventions". These treaties allow for lawmakers to impose administrative sanctions such as "rehabilitation and social reintegration ... [to] be substituted for conviction and penal sanction" in illicit drug cases. [continues 248 words]
Dear Editor, Ganja is illegal, so the police must stop those who peddle and smoke it, especially in full view of the public - at least for now, until and if it is made legal. This open disregard for the law helps to confuse our children. It tells them that an illegal act can be flaunted and accepted publicly. Commissioner, get tough, please. It may look simple but it will go a far way in changing disrespectful attitudes towards law and order. I am one of those from the old school who have no doubt that ganja is a harmful, behaviour-changing substance, even if the smokers say they feel "irie". To what end? Patrick Rowe [end]
ID: Interactive Dialogue IN a recent exchange with an acquaintance via Twitter concerning ways to grow the Jamaican economy, this web-savvy person was extremely dismissive of agriculture and went as far as to say that agriculture in Jamaica should only be for producing food for local consumption and we should focus on ICT. Unfortunately, there are many Jamaicans who refuse to research or acknowledge areas in agriculture where we do in fact have a competitive advantage or could discover such advantages. Many of us also do not pay attention to the number of jobs created by the agriculture industry. [continues 1001 words]
The Guardian is reporting that Cuban anti-drugs officials have accused Jamaica of giving drug smugglers free rein in Caribbean waters and skies. This is based on a secret US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks. The report states that members of Cuba's interior ministry and coast guard complained to the US and UK that their Jamaican counterparts stood idly by as traffickers zipped between the islands en route to the United States. According to the Guardian this further strengthens suspicion that drug lords have bought the co-operation of Jamaican politicians and law enforcers. [continues 90 words]
It seems like only yesterday that a small group of like-minded persons including myself met with Professor Barry Chevannes at a Kingston hotel to discuss further ganja law reform for Jamaica. At our most recent meeting sometime ago, he showed in a uniquely humble fashion the ability to wade through some fairly complex issues with amazing clarity and fixity of purpose. He clearly had a deep desire to see substantive progress on a number of issues he had a burning interest in. His commitment to Jamaica and the advancement of its people was unquestioned. It didn't take much then for us to request the pleasure of having him chair our group named the Ganja Law Reform Coalition of which he accepted. [continues 1053 words]
Dear Editor, Sir Ronald Sanders got an arrow-splitting bull's eye ("Decriminalising marijuana - taking the high ground", October 31, 2010), exposing cannabis prohibition as just plain wrong. Speaking of "religious purposes", another reason to stop caging responsible adults for using the relatively safe plant cannabis that doesn't get mentioned is because it is biblically correct since Christ God Our Father, The Ecologician, indicates He created all the seed-bearing plants saying they are all good, on literally the very first page (see Genesis 1:11-12 and 29-30). The only biblical restriction placed on cannabis is that it be accepted with thankfulness (see 1 Timothy 4:1-5). What kind of government cages its own citizens for using what God says is good? Stan White Colorado, USA [end]
FROM the outset of this commentary, let me state categorically that I have never smoked marijuana, and I do not drink alcohol except for the occasional glass of wine at a celebration. I was a heavy cigarette smoker until 1980 when, with great difficulty, I went from over 20 cigarettes a day to none at all overnight. I am relating all this because I believe that the Caribbean should legalise the growing of marijuana for medicinal purposes and should end laws that criminalise the use of small quantities for recreational and religious purposes -- a view I have expressed before. [continues 901 words]
RISE Life Management Services, the non-governmental organisation that works with at-risk youth in Kingston's inner cities, has expressed concern about the increase use of the 'party' drug ecstasy. Although only one case of addiction has been treated thus far, Richard Henry, co-ordinator of counselling services at the non-profit organisation, said the usage of the contraband is growing rapidly. "We have not seen many cases coming to us, but I was a part of a group recently and that is one of the things we saw coming out of that discussion," Henry told this week's Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper's headquarters in Kingston. [continues 419 words]
A Month After the Bloody Siege of Tivoli Gardens, Police Arrest Accused Drug Lord Who Faces a U.S. Extradition Request Jamaican authorities captured accused drug lord Christopher "Dudus" Coke at a checkpoint outside of Kingston, ending a monthlong manhunt that pitted residents against soldiers and left more than 70 civilians dead. Mr. Coke, 41 years old, is wanted on drug- and arms-trafficking charges in a New York district court and faces a U.S. extradition request. Police said at a news conference Tuesday that Mr. Coke was handed over to authorities by the Rev. Al Miller. The Rev. Miller said on a local radio program that he was taking Mr. Coke to the U.S. Embassy when his car was stopped at a checkpoint, possibly indicating that Mr. Coke had intended to give himself up to authorities. [continues 455 words]
Death Toll Climbs To 73 The death toll in the battle to capture the international drug baron Christopher "Dudus" Coke is expected to climb, with more than 73 people confirmed dead. The bodies of many killed in fierce gun battles in the city's Tivoli Gardens quarter have yet to be recovered because of the siege of the area imposed by the Jamaican army and police. As operations continued for a fourth day, the government of Bruce Golding, the Prime Minister, was unable to provide any information on the whereabouts of Mr. Coke, whose extradition on drugs and weapons charges is being sought by U.S. authorities. [continues 359 words]
U.S. Looks on With Alarm at Prospect of a Failed State on Its Doorstep Failed, failing, or losing its grip? Jamaica the sunspot appears to have a dark future if its vicious drug-dealing gangs aren't brought under control, as police and gang members exchange gunfire in Kingston's poor neighbourhoods, and the body count climbs near 50. The fight is over extradition of alleged drug gang leader Christopher "Dudus" Coke, wanted by Washington on drug and arms trafficking charges. He is still at large after three days of gun battles, defended by hundreds of supporters who owe him their livelihoods, and more quietly by politicians who owe him for their votes. [continues 606 words]
After Days Of Bloodshed That Turned Kingston Into A Warzone, The World Now Knows The Name Of Fugitive Drugs Kingpin Christopher "Dudus" Coke. Our Author Examines How His Gang Became So Powerful In Jamaica - And Beyond. Kingston residents fear police more than drug dealer Michael 'Dudus' Coke Three men rest at Fishermen Beach in Kingston Photo: AP Ask the people of Tivoli Gardens, Kingston's most notorious "garrison" community, who they consider to be the greatest threat to their wellbeing and the answer is always emphatic: the police. [continues 1587 words]
The Jamaican Government, in the current circumstances, was right to impose the state of emergency it declared Sunday evening for the Corporate Area of Kingston and St Andrew. The state was under threat from armed terrorists, criminals and thugs attempting to prevent even basic legal proceedings for the extradition to the United States of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke. The United States wants to put Mr Coke, the reputed leader of the notorious Shower Posse gang, on trial for cocaine and gun smuggling. But over several days, Mr Coke's acolytes and their generals erected fortified barricades around Tivoli Gardens and fired on members of the security forces when they presumed they were intent on entering the community to extract the 'don'. Like-minded criminal terrorists have engaged in similar acts of intimidation and mayhem elsewhere in the city. At least two policemen as well as civilians have been killed in these acts of terrorism. [continues 426 words]
KINGSTON, Jamaica -The government here defended its actions after a three-day siege in search of an alleged drug lord in a Kingston shantytown claimed at least 73 lives. But many Jamaicans questioned the deadly cost of the raid-while police said their target, Christopher "Dudus" Coke, was nowhere to be found. Police did claim victory Friday in taking control of the Tivoli Gardens slum, Mr. Coke's stronghold, saying it marked the most significant attack Jamaican police have dared to take on one of Kingston's "garrisons" where powerful crime bosses hold sway. [continues 1232 words]
Jamaican authorities Sunday put Kingston under a state of emergency and urged people to leave the city's roughest neighbourhoods, as police clashed with armed gangs over the possible extradition of a drug suspect to the United States. A police officer and a civilian were wounded by gunfire in street clashes, and three police stations came under attack, police said. One station was set ablaze after officers abandoned it, having run out of bullets. Police charged that gunmen from various communities across this Caribbean country of 2.8 million had joined forces with criminal elements in Tivoli Gardens in a bid to protect reputed gang leader Christopher "Dudus" Coke. [continues 264 words]
Embattled Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke has not instructed his legal team to strike a deal with the United States, Don Foote, one of the lawyers representing Coke, said yesterday. United States officials also steered clear of entertaining suggestions that Coke may waive his rights to an extradition hearing and head straight to New York for trial. Attorneys representing Coke have said they were having conversations with United States diplomats in Kingston with a view to finding a peaceful resolution to a months-long impasse. [continues 167 words]
The flourishing drugs-for-guns trade between Jamaica and Haiti appears to have taken a lull in the aftermath of Haiti's catastrophic 7.0-magnitude earthquake on January 12. The temblor caused extensive damage in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, killing more than 200,000 persons and displacing about a million. However, law-enforcement officials, who have been feverishly working to identify other sources of the arms trade, have observed that the Haitian drugs-for-guns trade is already starting to show signs of recovery to pre-January 12 levels. [continues 478 words]
CRIMINAL gangs aligned to the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) in the Maxfield Avenue area of Whitfield Town are being paid up to $100,000 per day to join in the mounting unrest in the Corporate Area sparked by resistance to the security forces' attempt to arrest Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke. According to men claiming to be members of the gangs, they are being paid by Coke, who is currently battling, in the Supreme Court, his pending extradition to the United States on drug- and gun-running charges. [continues 276 words]
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Thousands of police and soldiers stormed the Jamaican ghettos where reggae was born Tuesday in search of a reputed drug kingpin wanted by the United States, intensifying a third day of street battles that have killed at least 30. The masked gunmen fighting for underworld boss Christopher "Dudus" Coke say he provides services and protection - all funded by a criminal empire that seemed untouchable until the U.S. demanded his extradition. Coke, 41, has built a loyal following in Tivoli Gardens, the poor West Kingston slum that is his stronghold. U.S. authorities say he has been trafficking cocaine to the streets of New York City since the mid 1990s, allegedly hiring island women to hide the drugs on flights to the United States. [continues 723 words]
Prime Minister Bruce Golding has expressed outrage at overseas media reports which have labelled him "a known criminal affiliate of hunted drug lord" Christopher 'Dudus' Coke. In a press release late last night, Golding "categorically denied and dismissed the story" carried by mainstream United States network ABC as extremely offensive. The Independent, a United Kingdom newspaper, also claimed that Coke's "drug gang was on (the) payroll of (the) Jamaican prime minister". Golding said "both publications, by seeking to link him personally with the alleged drug kingpin, were clearly part of a conspiracy to undermine the duly elected Government of Jamaica ". [continues 182 words]
THE OPERATION by the Jamaican security forces in the west Kingston community of Tivoli Gardens is not yet over, so there can as yet be no full assessment of its achievements. But this newspaper believes that the performance of the men and women of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Defence Force over the past two days has been nothing short of commendable. They have acted, not only in an organised and resolute manner, but have displayed bravery and courage in confronting a major challenge to the Jamaican state by narco-terrorists and criminals. [continues 443 words]
Soldiers and police yesterday launched a bloody offensive on Tivoli Gardens where heavily armed thugs barricaded themselves to protect the mini-republic of a reputed crime overlord, causing street battles to ripple across Jamaica's capital. At least three members of the security forces have been slain in gunfights and 14 others injured in two days of wide-scale violence that has swept western Kingston and other areas where rogue alliances exist. Up to press time last night, the Constabulary Communication Network reported that seven law-enforcement personnel were injured in the latest phase of operations. Six of the seven were shot, one succumbing to his injuries. That fatality was a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier. [continues 645 words]
Drug Czar Sought; Supporters View Gangster As Local Hero Gun battles raging in the Jamaican capital have left more than 60 people dead, mostly civilians, hospital sources said yesterday, as troops fanned out across the city hunting an alleged drug kingpin. With violence turning much of Kingston into a war zone, three trucks loaded with bodies, including a baby, unloaded their grim cargo at a morgue in one of the main hospital complexes, an Agence France-Presse correspondent saw. Hundreds of troops and police have been deployed to hunt down Christopher "Dudus" Coke, wanted in the United States on drug-trafficking charges, amid a week-long standoff with his loyal supporters. [continues 529 words]
Gang Has Toronto Reach; Jamaica's 'Posse' Tries To Stop Leader's Extradition To U.S. Jamaica has declared a state of emergency after gun battles were waged in the streets of the island's capital between police and gangsters defending an alleged drug baron. At least two police officers and a civilian were killed and a police station burnt down as hooded gunmen from across the Caribbean island gathered in Kingston's crime-plagued downtown area, setting up roadblocks and firing on officers trying to remove them. [continues 885 words]
Reinforcements Imported To Aid In 'dudus' Battle Reporters Told To Leave - 'get It Right, Or Else' MEN SWEATING as if they were working on construction sites muscled their way through sections of west Kingston this morning, reinforcing barricades to keep out the security forces. From one end of the city, vehicles rolled up to the blockages regularly, unloading passengers. But these are no ordinary commuters. They are men who, neighbouring residents say, are being imported to strengthen an army of militants who are preparing to defend alleged gang boss Christopher 'Dudus' Coke with their lives. [continues 336 words]
Much of downtown Kingston, the nation's capital city, was locked airtight for most of the day yesterday, denying motorists access to the island's central business district. Men from Tivoli Gardens in west Kingston, a Jamaica Labour Party stronghold, sealed all entrances to that section of the city by blocking roads with debris and sandbags. For most of the day, sporadic gunfire shattering the serenity of the nearby May Pen Cemetery could be heard as heavily armed men controlled the barricades and maintained vigilance atop high-rise buildings. They were prepared to do battle as news spread that the security forces were planning to storm the community and extract Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, their don. [continues 334 words]
The United States Department of State on Monday released its annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report in which it chastised the Bruce Golding-led administration for its handling of the extradition request for Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke and questioned Jamaica's commitment to the fight against narco-trafficking. Below is the full text of the report on Jamaica. Summary Jamaica remains the Caribbean's largest source of marijuana for the United States. It is also a transit point for cocaine trafficked from South America. While cooperation between Government of Jamaica (GOJ) and US Government (USG) law enforcement agencies remained strong, delays in proceeding with the significant extradition request for a major alleged narcotics and firearms trafficker who is reported to have ties to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party, and subsequent delays in other extradition requests, have called into question Kingston's commitment to law enforcement cooperation with the US. [continues 2950 words]
There has long been a worldwide debate about the need to legalise marijuana. Perhaps the most important argument in favour of its legalisation is that marijuana is far less damaging to a person's health than alcohol and cigarettes. Here in Britain, the statistics show that many more crimes are committed by persons under the influence of alcohol than marijuana. Almost as significant is the argument that it is the illegality of marijuana which causes criminality. If it were legal, the argument goes, the gangs and the violence associated with the drug would disappear overnight. Supporters of decriminalisation have also pointed out that despite the so-called "War on Drugs", consumption of drugs around the world has never been higher. [continues 549 words]
Dear Editor, I agree with the article about legalisation of cannabis. Yes, Jamaica should legalise. Why allow the USA to dictate cannabis policies to you? Imagine the boost to tourism. Imagine herb smokers being on the same side as the police and imagine how legalisation would take the business away from criminals and put it into the hands of legitimate business and the product being taxed and that money put into education, better schools with more resources for teachers, etc. Science is showing that cannabis is actually good for our bodies. Smoking it is not so good, but it can be eaten or vaporised. I am fighting to have cannabis legalised in my country, Canada. If you are interested in truth go to www.norml.org http://www.norml.org and www.leap.cc http://www.leap.cc. Brian Kerr Canada [end]
Dear Editor, For decades, the biggest obstacle to global marijuana law reform has been the US Government. It remains to be seen whether current US President Barack Obama is serious about change. In the case of marijuana, there is no reason to maintain the status quo. Here in the US, marijuana prohibition has failed miserably as a deterrent. The University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future Study reports that lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the United States than any European country, yet America is one of the few Western countries that still uses its criminal justice system to punish citizens who prefer marijuana to martinis. [continues 123 words]
Forty-seven years in the life of any nation is relatively short; yet years of social blight and economic underperformance can make those years seem eternal. For when Jamaica gained political independence from Britain in 1962, it was achieved on the premise that political independence would empower us not only to embrace the freedom that came with self-government, but also to help us actualise the opportunities it offered to develop and maintain a prosperous, well-organised, and orderly society. Therefore, it was the beliefs, desires and intentions of the architects of political independence for the country to use the freedom, the rights and responsibilities that came with such, as springboards toward achieving social progress and economic independence for the majority. [continues 1032 words]
The Editor, Sir: A popular US-based news station reported recently that 13 states in the USA currently have 600 legal marijuana pharmacies with trained pharmacists on-board. Other states are lined up to put it on the ballot for their residents to decide whether marijuana for medicinal purposes should be legalised. People can access online prescriptions, with no limit to the amount they want. The dried marijuana is available in an unending list of names depending on the farmer's choice - names like 'third eye', 'air force one', etc. [continues 272 words]
The current harsh economic climate could drive more people to drink, smoke or do hard drugs, with dire consequences. In sounding this recent warning, the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) urged both public and private sector interests to partner with it to help stymie any increase in drug use - legal or illegal. "In an environment where there is a lot of uncertainty (and) a lot of stress, where there is the threat of job loss and economic hardship and problems making ends meet, some people will choose to turn to legal and illegal drugs to escape from the reality of the harsh climate that they face," Michael Tucker, executive director of the NCDA, told the Sunday Observer. [continues 797 words]
Primary-school children in some 20 inner-city schools across Kingston and St Andrew are to be drafted into a new national programme aimed at discouraging drug use among very young students. The programme, which started on February 5, is geared towards countering the growing trend of young children being lured into early drug abuse. The pilot programme, dubbed READ (Resistance Education Against Drugs), will now target schoolchildren at the grade one level (ages five to eight) and will be slotted in alongside existing Family Life and Prevention Education Programmes in many schools. [continues 264 words]
OF the 890 calls Rise Life Management Services - one the island's drug treatment facilities - received for help in 2008, the majority came from people looking to beat their marijuana addiction. Furthermore, Sonita Abrahams, Rise Life's executive director, said the percentage of calls for problems associated with marijuana over the past four years is also on the rise, jumping from 39 per cent in 2005 to 43 per cent in 2008. "People say marijuana is harmless, but if you talk to any doctor who works in mental institutions, they will tell you that a large percentage of the people come in with marijuana induced psychosis," Abrahams said. [continues 425 words]
Elliott Cites Anti-Doping Links At JADCO Symposium Being a signatory to three international anti-doping conventions means Jamaica cannot legalise the use of marijuana, according to doctor of sports medicine, Herb Elliott. Elliott was speaking at the opening of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission's (JADCO's) two-day symposium at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston yesterday. Jamaica, in addition to being the 16th country to ratify the UNESCO International Convention for Doping in Sport, is also a signatory to all three Geneva Conventions on the use of psychotropic drugs as well as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code. [continues 242 words]
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - Jamaican police say they are investigating why two women arrived on the Caribbean island allegedly carrying nearly half a million dollars. Deputy Superintendent Artel Collie said Saturday that the women were questioned but have not been charged and were released as the investigation continues. He says airport customs officials seized $471,000 from the women on Thursday. Travelers can legally carry up to $10,000. Collie said he did not know where in the U. S. the women are from. [end]
This is the final instalment of a three-part series about drug use and addiction among Jamaicans. The series chronicled the battle and triumphs of addicts, and examined the various programmes in place to help people kick the habit. For generations, many families of drug abusers have struggled to cope with the behaviour of their 'sick' relatives. Watching them throw their lives away is hard to bear, and in many worst case scenarios, this 'illness' results in the death of the loved one. [continues 868 words]
Inside Jamaica
